Bayern hit Hargreaves with 'prostitute' taunt

The Manchester United target Owen Hargreaves will make a public declaration today in an effort to bring his dispute with Bayern Munich to a resolution after he suffered another embarrassing broadside from the German club when the general manager, Uli Höness, accused him of "prostituting" himself.

The severe admonishment from Höness was widely reported in Germany yesterday and was clearly a humiliating experience for Hargreaves, who attempted to stand up to the Bayern official in front of his team-mates. A source close to the player revealed that Hargreaves was aghast to read about the argument in Germany's Bild newspaper yesterday. It would appear that Hargreaves, for whom United have made an offer of £17m, had been picked out by Höness in front of the whole squad for making clear his wishes to leave. The 25-year-old, who is suffering from flu, reported to the training ground yesterday but stayed little more than 50 minutes.

While he was there he was shown newspaper reports of the dispute which quoted Höness as accusing him of "prostituting" himself. Hargreaves left shortly afterwards. With the transfer window due to close a week today, the midfielder's hopes of a move to Old Trafford appear to be dwindling.

While sources close to the England international say that he is calm, he must also have to consider abandoning his attempts to engineer a move. With Bayern mobilising the German press against him, Hargreaves is due to make his feelings clear at an official club press conference at 3pm today. So far he has made his feelings clear in newspaper interviews but today could prove an explosive conclusion to the long-running saga.